Wire fence-gate.



` PATBNIBD IAN. 2o, 1903. I.. c. LLwIsoN.

WIRE FENCE GATE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 29, 1902 no MODEL.

liwj Clezjaam UNTTEED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEWIS C. LEWISON, OF ADAMS, MINNESOTA. y

WIRE'FENCE-GATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 718,777, dated January20, 19.03.

Application filed July 29, 1902. Serial No. 117,491. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom, t Wray concern.-

Beit known that LLEWIS C. LEWISON, a citi- Zen of the United States,residing at Adams, in the county of Mower and State of Minneseta, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Wire Fence-Gates, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention has relation to new and useful improvements in wirefence-gates; and the primary object ot' the invention is to prof vide agate of the kind mentioned which will be simple in construction andefcient and durable in use and wherein will be embodied an improvedfastening means for securing the free end of the gate to a post or othersuitable standard.

A further object of the invention is to arrange and construct thefastening means so that when operated to close the gate it will serve tostretch the strands, and thus place them under tension, which tensionwill assist the fastening means in its operation and hold the same inits closed position.

I have fully and clearly illustrated my invention in the accompanyingdrawings, wherein- Figure 1 is aperspective view of a gate constructedin accordance with my invention, and Fig. 2 is a detail view of aslightly-modified form of fastening means. Fig. 3 is a top plan view ofthe locking means, showing the angular relations of the parts thereof.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a fence-post of any preferreddesign and of such height and dimensions as may be required by thepurposes for which it is employed. This post has a suitable brace 2, bywhich it is prevented from becoming dislodged from its foundation by anyexcessive pull upon the fence-strands comprising the gate-panels.Secured about the post 1 and at proper intervals thereon are a pluralityof collars 3, corresponding in number to the number of strands composingthe gate and which may be of any form which will effectually withstandthe strain and wear imposed upon them. Formed integrally with thecollars 3 or suitably secured thereto are eyes or rings el. Within theseeyes l are held simi-v lar eyes 5, which are carried by the ends of thefence-strands 6,comprising the gate-panel,

.post is of any suitable design.

thus forming a flexible connection between the strands and the post 1.The flexible connection just described serves to permit a free movementof the gate from side to side without unduly bending the strands, andthereby impairing their durability, or in case I prefer to substituterigid bars for the strands the said connections will serve as hingeswhen the gate is opened and closed. The opposite ends of the strands 6from those secured to the post 1 are secured to clips 7, which clips arerotatably mounted upon vertically-alining cranks S 8, formed upon avertically-arranged crank-shaft 9, the upper and lower ends of which arejournaled in suitable eyes or bearings 10, mounted on a post 11, whichThe lower bearing-eye 10 is so formed as to prevent the lateraldisplacement of the lower end of the crank-shaft; but the upper eye isformed Awith a lateral opening 12, in order that the upper end of thecrank-shaft may be removed from -its bearing and the lower end of theshaft then be lifted out of the lower eye and the gate swung aside topermitan opening to be made in the fence. It will readily be seen thatthe side arm of the lower crank will rest upon the lower eye 1 0 andthat in case of any vertical longitudinal movement of the crankshaft theupper arm of the crank nearest the upper end of the crank shaft willstrike against the upper bearing-eye and the endwise displacement of thesaid crank-shaft be prevented.

Projecting from the crank-shaft 9 is a later ally-disposed arm 13, whichlies in a vertical plane which is at an angle to that of the crank 8 andhas secured thereto by a rivet 14 or any other suitable fastening meansa lever 15, which lever forms an extension of the arm 13 and liessubstantially in the same plane therewith and serves as anoperating-lever to rotate the crank-shaft to lock or release the gateand as a latch-bar when the gate is in its closed position.

Within one side of the post 11 is formed a transverse seater recess16,which is arranged and adapted to receive the free end of the lever 15when the gate is held closed and whereby the said lever is preventedfrom displacement longitudinally of the post. The

post 11 is also provided at a point adjacent the seat 16 with a pivotedlatch 17, which is ICO adapted to be rotated to engage the lever 15 andhold it within the seat 16 and form an additional means for preventingthe dislodgment of the said lever. rIhe post 1l is also provided with asuitable brace 17a, by which it is held against dislodgnient and heldrigidly in position.

In Fig. l of the drawings I have illustrated a crank-shaft having twocranks, to each of which is secured a single fence-strand; but it isobvious that I may secure more than one strand toeach of said cranks orthat I may provide the said crank-shaft with any number of cranks, asshown in Fig. 2, whereby the fastening means may be employed inconnection with a gate having any number of strands.

The operation of my invention is as follows: When it is desired to closethe gate, the upper and lower ends of the crank-shaft are placed intheir bearings in the bearingeyes, and the operating-lever is grasped bythe operator and swung toward the post 1l. In View of the fact that thesaid operatinglever is arranged at an angle to the plane of the cranksit will be seen that the plane of the cranks will reach the longitudinalcenter of the fence before the said operating-leverassumes its lockedposition on the post l0 and that when the movement of the lever iscontinued long enough to carry the plane of the cranks beyond thelongitudinal centerof the fence the tension of the wire strands causedby their being stretched will exert a pull on the cranks, which willcontinue the rotation of the crank-shaft, and thereby assist to th rowthe lever into its locked position on the post. The tension of thewires, as above mentioned, so materially assists in the movement of thelocking means that the hold of the operator may be released and theoperation of the device will continue without further effort on hispart, and once having reached its locked position the lever will be heldin position by the wires. In order to provide an additional means ofsecuring the lever, the latch 17 may then be turned over the lever,substantially as shown in Fig. l. When it is desired to open the gate,the latch is removed from engagement with the lever,which lever is swungaway from the post by the operator until, as above described, the crankspass the longitudinal center of the fence, when the pull of the wireswill continue the rotation of the crank-shaft. The said shaft may bethen lifted from its bearing and carried to one side in order that thedesired opening may be made in the fence.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new is- 1.A wire fence-gate, comprising strands, a i

shaft formed with a plurality of cranks to which the strands areconnected, and an operating-leverarranged at an angle to the cranks, andadapted to be swung in one direction into engagement with a standard andheld there against return in the opposite direction by the tension ofthe strands comprising the gate.

2. A wire fence-gate comprising strands, a shaft formed with a pluralityof cranks to which the strands are connected, an operating-leverarranged at an angle to the cranks and adapted to be swung intoengagement with a standard and held there by the tension of the strands,and a latch to engage the operating-lever.

3. The combination with a wire fence-gate comprising strands and astandard having bearings and a recess, of a crank-shaft detachablyjournaled in the said bearings, and operatively connected to the strandsof the gate, an operatinglever connected to the crank-shaft and arrangedat an angle to the cranks, and adapted to be swung into engagement withthe standard and be seated in the recess therein, and means to hold thelever in position in the recess.

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LEWIS C. LEWISON. lVitnesses:

R. M. LARsoN, J oHN MADDEN.

